Pop Culture Persephone

Persephone could think of no better way to usher in 2023  then to invite best friend and collaborator Roger Conners to join her to discuss the much anticipated “robot companion goes wrong” thriller M3GAN. In this week’s episode we discuss technology as a nurturing tool, our fixation with tech and the seductive but deadly charm that is M3GAN.   What can’t M3GAN do?  Be your adopted child’s emotional touchstone?  Check.  Serve as a home school teacher for your child? Check.  Protect your child with deadly consequences?  Check, Check!  Tune in and listen to our musings about our new favorite A.I. horror doll!

Appointment television might seem like an antiquated concept of the past given the onslaught of streaming services enabling us to binge an entire series in one evening, but there are exceptions. In this case, the much anticipated season 2 of HBO’s The White Lotus had most people glued to their TV’s every Sunday night at 9pm for the last 7 weeks!  Moving from Hawaii to another luxury resort in Sicily, Season 2 amps up the woes of wealthy Americans as they explore the seductive and curse-filled terrain of Taorima, Sicily. On this week’s PCP, Persephone is joined by return guest McKenzie Merriman and first time guest and musician Nick Seink as we delve into the themes of this season, how it connects or differs from Season 1, and how writer Mike White continues to challenge our expectations of prestige television.

Breaking her eleven year silence, controversial “person of interest” Casey Anthony,  who was acquitted of murdering her two-year-old child Caylee in 2011, has re-emerged on the Peacock Network in a 3-part “documentary” series where  she gives her side of the story. In this week’s PCP, we discuss this controversial murder case and the mind boggling Peacock special that has our heads throbbing!  Joined by first time guest Maggie McClave and return guest Sarah Hess, we discuss if and how this new “documentary” impacts our opinions on the case and the woman in question.

The long awaited first season of HBO’s House of the Dragon just wrapped and similar to it’s predecessor Game of Thrones, we are on now on the precipice of war at the end of first season!  This week on the PCP, Persephone is joined by first time guest and super-fan Paula Kampf as we discuss the riveting first season of HOTD including the treatment of the pivotal female characters, familial power struggles, incest marriage alliances, succession of the crown, and so many dragons!   This episode is FILLED with spoilers so proceed with caution before listening or plan on watching all ten episodes.  Dracarys!

On this week’s PCP, Persephone discusses the long anticipated movie Blonde and the character assassination of an American icon.  This podcast is filled with spoilers, so please watch the movie on Netflix before tuning into the pod!

When do we stop seeking pleasure and sexual fulfillment? We discuss this and much more in this week’s PCP while Persephone is joined by friend and clinical expert in sexuality and relationships Rachel Drotar as we discuss the delightful Good Luck to You, Leo Grande.

This week Persephone brings you Parallel Pop, a bonus special episode focusing on the similarities between two wildly controversial actors: Marlon Brando and Jared Leto.  Persephone discusses their use of method acting and how their personal lives have directly impacted - for both good and bad - into performances throughout their respective careers.  

While the juggernaut of reality TV,  Keeping Up With the Kardashians officially ended in June 2021, ending  a 14 year relationship with the E! Network as their flagship program, “the family” would not go quietly into the night, often appearing on social  media and the tabloids multiple times in one day.  In the year between the launching of Hulu’s new The Kardashians, we have experienced a barrage of Kardashian news from Kim/Kanye/Pete sparring to the exhausting love affair between Kourtney and Travis Barker. With a much higher production value and budget, does this “new” show have what it takes for us to continue to watch the lives of this perplexing family play out when we already know what’s going to happen? On this week’s PCP, Kar-Jenner expert Roxy Reminick joins Persephone to parse out the details!

On December 9th 2001, Kathleen Peterson, a 48-year old executive, wife and mother, was found dead at the bottom of a stairwell at her lavish home in Durham, North Carolina.  This incident would set the southern town on fire once it was  revealed that local  law enforcement suspected her husband , pipe-smoking writer Michael Peterson, of murder.  First released as a compelling documentary in 2004 by the same name, HBO Max has gifted us a star-packed mini-series dramatizing not only the incident and the subsequent trial, but also events leading up to Kathleen’s demise.  On this week’s PCP - with return guest Anna Rose - we discuss the case including the dynamics of the blended Peterson family, mysteries of Michael’s past and how this dramatization compares to documentary.

In this week's PCP, special first time guest George Winstone joins Persephone to discuss the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard defamation trial and what it means outside of the realm of "celebrity." George provides an astrological blueprint of Johnny and Amber, providing insight on how these forces could have impacted the ultimate demise of this relationship. Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion on physical and emotional abuse along with self-harm.